Protective preparation against mustard gas



Patented Jan. 13, 1953 PROTECTIVE PREPARATION AGAINST MUSTARD GAS Joseph N. Loehle, Baltimore, Md., assignor to the United States of America as. represented by the Secretary of War No Drawing. Application July 24, 1942,

Serial No. 452,196

4 Claims. (01. Tea-cs) (Granted under The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. j,

This invention relates generally to preparations adapted to protect the flesh and skin of man and beast against mustard gas; lewisite, and like chemical warfare vesicant agents.

The severe and very dangerous blistering action of mustard gas, lewisite, and like vesicants, on the flesh and skin of man and beast has long been fully realized and extensive measures and precautions have been taken to protect military personnel as completely as possible against these chemical warfare agents. In this connection, one phase of protective development has been the provision of preparations to be applied to areas of the-skin and flesh exposed to vesicant agents.

If possible these pre'parationsshould beiapplied vesicants. In case it is-not possible to get protective-preparations onthe skin beforeit is; conbeast against mustard gas, lewisite, and like .chemical warfare ,Vesicant agents and-particularly characterized in being: easily prepared and stored; adequately stable under all conditions except extremely high abnormal temperatures; readily and easily applied to the skin; and, nonirritant and non-toxic to skin and flesh.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description thereof setting forth, by way of illustration, certain specific compositions and methods of compounding the same.

It is known that vesicant agents such as mustard gas and lewisite may be converted into nonvesicant products by halogenation, and particularly by chorination. Although as a general class, N-chloro organic compounds having adequate stability against decomposition may be used in preparations for the purpose of destroying vesicants by chlorination, a number of difficulties are involved in providing suitable emulsions for carrying these active compounds.

According to the present invention, excellent emulsions or bases for carrying active N-chloro organic compounds may be made comprising, a suitable solvent for the active N-chlor compound Title 35, U. sec. 266) to flesh or rmb erorea hasbeeh touched with?" s.coae(1952)..r.

which solvent is non-reactive therewith, such as triacetin,'a mucilage, a'soap, and an alkali forming ingredient such as sodium bicarbonate. In addition, an emulsion-stabilizing substance, such as a bentonite suspension, may be included with the foregoing ingredients. A preparation having the following specific composition has been found to provide one satisfactory embodiment of the invention:

Per cent Dichloramine-Tm ns 18.9 Triacetin 56.5

The above specific preparation may be made according to the following procedure:

and the sodium bicarbonate. y 3. The first part is then added to the second part with constant stirring and the mixture is expressed through an aluminum homogenizer so as to make the preparation into an emulsion.

' If desired the preparation may be suitably colored ents.

and scented.

Although the preparation having the above formulae gave adequate-protection and was found to be nonirritant to human skin, it proved to have an irritating action on the skin of horses. It was found however, that this formulae could be modified so as to provide an improved preparation which was not irritant either to the skin of humans or horses and other beasts. This improved preparation has the following composition:

The improved preparation can be prepared according to the procedure outlined above for preparing the first-mentioned formulae. That is, a first part is made by mixing the dichloramine-T and the triacetin together. A second part is made by mixing together the remaining ingredi- Then the first part is added to the second with constant stirring and the resulting mixture is expressed through an homogenizer. If desired, the preparation :may be suitably colored and scented as desired.

From inspection of the foregoing formula it will be seen that substantial percentage ranges for the various ingredients are ,permissiblaparticularly in respect to the dichloramine rg'triacetin, mucilago, aqueous soap mixture and sodium bicarbonate.

Preparations having the"'fo1lowing percentage ranges were found the most satisfactory:

Per cent Dichloramine-T 11.1-18;9 Triacetin 1303-156 .5 Aqueous soap mixture (BOWL-70% soap) 3.8-4.1 Mucilago chondri 1819-5017 Sodium bicarbonate 1.9-2-I0 The preparations should preferably be packed inaniher-coioredbottles and stored at room temperature. Ilpon standing, the ,preparations may .in certain instances separate to a'slight degree after the, manner of emulsions, but may be easi- Lly re-emu1sified by shaking into the normal smooth, creamy texture.

'fTestshave-shown thatthe active chlorine content of the preparations when stored inamber v glass bottles, at room temperature, willnormally ,remain constant with only very .slight variations lover a period of six weeks or more. Tit will be seenthatithe preparations are adequate- ,ly stable.

C.'Since certain changes andmodificationsrmay be made'in'the"foregoing'compositions'and'methods of preparing the same without departing from the scope of the invention, itisintended wthat all matter contained -in the ,abovedescrip- "rtion shall'be given .a construction as broad was is consistent with the state of the prior art.

-What ,is claimed [as :new 3181 1. .A preparation in emulsion ,form adapted .to protect the flesh and- -skin of man and "beast against mustard-gas, .lewisite, ,and, like vesicants,

which comprises, ddichloramineeT as a :vesicant destroying :agent, triacetin-as-an organic solvent for the vesicant destroying agent, ,mucilago zchondri an aqueous soap .mixture,'and sodium bicarbonate.

2..A preparation inemulsioniormadapted to ,protect the flesh and skin of :man and beast Per cent Dichloramine-T 18.9

"Triacetin 56.5

' :Aqueous;soap;mixture (70% soap) 3.8 LMucilago chondri 18.9 Sodium .bicarbonate 1.9

1.4. .A preparation in emulsion form adapted to :protectthe flesh and skin of man and beast against mustard gas, lewisite, and like vesicants,

which comprises substantially:

"Per .cent Dichloramine-FI' s 11.1

Triacetin 3013 Aqueoussoapmixture(50% soap) 4.1 Mucilago ,chondri 50.7 )Sodium bicarbonate 2.0 'Bentonite suspension (1% bentonite in .water) .1;8

JOSEPH N. LOEHLE.

REFERENCES 'CITED The, .following references .are of record .in the file :of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,649,326 Schneider Nov. 15,1927 1,676,309 vlright .July l'0, 1928 0 813,109 .Banks July-7, 1931 OT-HER REFERENCES Vedder: "Medical-Aspects of Chemical Warfare 61925) pages 126,154 and 156.

Goodman: Cosmetic Dermatology (1936) page 515.

Chambers =e't a1. Pharmaceutical Journal, vol. 141, page 113 (1938) Manufacturing Chemist, vol. II (1940), page "Extra Pharmacopoeia, Vol. 1, 22d ed. 11-941), page2396. 

1. A PREPARATION IN EMULSION FROM ADAPTED TO PROTECT THE FLESH AND SKIN OF MAN AND BEAST AGAINST MUSTARD GAS, LEWISITE, AND LIKE VESICANTS, WHICH COMPRISES, DICHLORAMINE-T AS A VESICANT DESTROYING AGENT, TRIACETIN AS AN ORGANIC SOLVENT FOR THE VESICANT DESTROYING AGENT, MUCILAGO CHONDRI, AN AQUEOUS SOAP MIXTURE, AND SODIUM BICARBONATE. 